trailer wiring

[Toyelectroman]

First time poster, so if this has been discussed I apologize in advance. Trying to see what is the proper way to install a trailer wiring harness on my boat trailer. Last year I installed a brand new westbar trailer wiring harness, and the way I installed it was I ran the ground from the harness 6" up the trailer and crimped a ring terminal to a self tapped screw into the frame. From the self tapped screw I ran two grounds(one on the left and one on the right) to the lights. Soldered all the light connections and put in LED lights. Fast forward to August of this year, hooked up the trailer lights and notice only half of them were working. Did some digging around and I noticed that my ground wires had pretty much disintegrated going almost all the way up to the ring terminal. Instead of trying to run a new ground wire I just ran a new harness in again. Fast forward to two weeks ago hooked up the trailer lights and none worked again. Haven't looked into it yet but I must be doing something wrong here.

 

[MH Hawker]

its hard to say but i suspect that vibration is causing them to break

 

[Scott Danforth]

I personally do not like the self taping screw ground idea. I run a dedicated ground line to every light from the pigtail.

 

[Starcraft5834]

fear not.. trailer wiring finds ways to short out.... stuff giggles loose.. self tapping screws smoosh and cut,, zip ties and duct tape for me. welcome by the way!!:fencing:

 

[GA_Boater]

I personally do not like the self taping screw ground idea. I run a dedicated ground line to every light from the pigtail.

Nor do I. Usually the ground from the connector isn't very long, so I use a waterproof crimp to extend the wire and add a dedicated ground wire to every light using waterproof crimps.

This is especially important if you have a tilt trailer. Connecting the ground from the plug to the tongue and relying on the tongue tilt bolt will cause grounding problems with flickering or no lights.

A bunch of these help secure the wires, they never give enough in a wiring kit.



Welcome to the forums, Toyelectroman.

 

[Toyelectroman]

I personally do not like the self taping screw ground idea. I run a dedicated ground line to every light from the pigtail.

Maybe I will eliminate the self tapping screw and ring terminals and just connect all 3 wires together. So with that idea I would solely be relying the ground from the truck for the trailer lights right?

 

[Scott Danforth]

Right.

 

[bruceb58]

I am a big fan of one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0044YQHT6/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

If you want to homerun all the lights, they will go on their respective post. I personally don't believe in running a separate ground to every light but this would make that easy as well.

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I like using chassis ground so long as what you are grounding to is solid a solid member. My EZ Loader, like a lot of other trailers, are bolted together so the grounding can get iffy over time as bolts rust and things move. I like drilling and tapping the screws for the ring terminals, then applying blue Loctite to the SS screw. Like everyone else I'm not a fan of the self drilling screws, especially the coarse thread ones for thin metal. They will loosen up and give you problems over time. Probably a couple hundred ways to skin a cat, this is how i like to do it.

 

[bruceb58]

What I do for ground wires is use a ring terminal on the end of the wire using a crimp connector that has a heat adhesive shrink wrap incorporated like an Ancor type connector, drill a hole in the frame, grind to bare metal around the hole, use a bolt and nut to connect and then paint over to seal the connection.

 

[MH Hawker]

i just recently rebuilt my trailer and that included a new lights ans rewire, mine is a toon trailer with the wiring inside of the tubes but its the same thing, make a good ground point at the tongue and at each point, i grind it to bare steel an use noalox you can paint over it also and the wire loon and cable ties to stabilize it i like to drill a 1/4 hole to add a good ground on the skid plate on the tounge

 

[Blind Date]

My EZ Loader, like a lot of other trailers, are bolted together so the grounding can get iffy over time as bolts rust and things move.

That's a really good point. I've never had a problem using the trailer frame as a ground on welded steel trailers. I always ground the wire for the trailer harness at the tongue and use a nut & bolt. I also don't solder anything, got away from that. Heat shrink crimp connectors work great and seem to last forever. But I also boat in fresh water, not salt.

 

[Toyelectroman]

That's a really good point. I've never had a problem using the trailer frame as a ground on welded steel trailers. I always ground the wire for the trailer harness at the tongue and use a nut & bolt. I also don't solder anything, got away from that. Heat shrink crimp connectors work great and seem to last forever. But I also boat in fresh water, not salt.

Why not solider? The second time around installing wires i ditched the soldier and crimped due to speed of install but i thought soldering was best for connecting wires

 

[Baylinerchuck]

I solder all my crimp connectors then use heatshrink. I cut my teeth in electronics so I like to get the old Weller out anytime I can. Just make sure if you solder you solder only the wire to the connector and don't allow the solder to wick too far back into the wire. Like any other connection make sure you stabilize the wire to protect against movement.

Lots of opinions on solder vs crimp only, vs tape. I like to solder mine and create permanent paths to ground. Nothing more annoying to me than flickering lights due to jacked up trailer wiring.

 

[achris]

Any copper wire crimped and screwed to an open lug will corrode. Nature of the beast. 2 solutions. 1 (my least favoured) is to use tinned wire. 2. Use a junction box, much like that one from Amazon, but you can get them for way cheaper than that, and run a single multi-core cable to each light. My trailer has 4 lights. 2 side light (just on the tail-light circuit) on the mudgaurds, and an LED assembly on each side at the back. I have run a 5 core cable from the trailer plug to a IP67 box at the end of the drawbar through a gland and onto a terminal strip. Then a length of 4 core to each of the back light assemblies, and a couple of 2 core to each of the side lights. Each light cable carries its own ground, commoned up on the terminal strip in the junction box.

Been running that for the last 10 years, and haven't even taken the lid off the box.

Chris...

 

[Blind Date]

Why not solider? The second time around installing wires i ditched the soldier and crimped due to speed of install but i thought soldering was best for connecting wires

Agree soldering is the best. I just like the speed and ease using crimp connectors. I also use the heat shrink connectors which are expensive but seal the crimp connection up pretty good. I also mentioned I'm a fresh water boater only which is a lot more forgiving on trailer wiring than salt water. What works for many seasons on my fresh water trailer may not last one season in salt water.

 

[bruceb58]

If you properly crimp with a quality crimper and connector you not only don't need solder you don't want solder. No matter how hard you try, solder will wick down the wire making it essentially a solid wire which will break because of vibration.

Most people don't want to invest the money in a quality crimp tool which is why we end up having these discussions.

For a trailer it doesn't really matter since there really is no big deal if you lose a light. If you were building an airplane or an auto, you don't use solder on a crimp connection.

http://www.pbase.com/mainecruising/w...ination&page=5
Read what AMP says about soldering crimp connectors half way down the page.

In most of the places I worked at, we had electrical technicians that seemed to like to solder crimps. Was always hard to break them of that habit. Was fine for prototypes buy anything that was going to be flying and was in a vibration environment could not be soldered.

Just don't buy the crap they sell at Harbor Freight. Buy an Ancor connector or one from these guys:
http://www.genuinedealz.com/marine-e...nectors?cat=85

 

[bigdee]

If you properly crimp with a quality crimper and connector you not only don't need solder you don't want solder. No matter how hard you try, solder will wick down the wire making it essentially a solid wire which will break because of vibration.

Yup.....purpose of stranded wire is flexibility. Automotive crimp connectors and crimp tools are junk. http://www.specialized.net/Specialized/ERG4002-StaKon-T--B-Ratcheting-Crimper-NonInsulated-2194.aspx. If your on a budget this is a good alternative https://www.grainger.com/product/STA-KON-9-5-8-L-Crimper-3KH45